The invention relates to a tape with germinating units succeedingly arranged in the longitudinal direction of said tape, where the germinating units comprise growth-suited plant parts, such as seeds, meristems or the like parts, which are able to develop into plants in the tape, or where the tape comprises plants developed from said plant parts, the tape being placed edgewise, and where the tape and the germinating units comprise at least one or two, respectively, joined strips of paper being intended for mechanical bedding out in a furrow in the ground.
The above is known from the Applicant""s own application, cf. DK-171,407-B1.
EP 0 056 687-A3 discloses a seed tape comprising a strip of biodegradable material vertically bedded out in the soil, and whereby seeds are attached to the upper portion of said strip and concentrated fertilizers and optionally other chemicals are attached to the lower portion of said strip. As stated, this publication deals with a seed tape, and apparently no measures have been taken for making this tape with the germinated plants suited for a mechanical bedding out.
EP 0 097 735 A1 discloses a method of attracting and bedding out plants or radicles, where a cigar-shaped sleeve of paper, plastic sheet or the like biodegradable material is used for each plant. The cigar-shaped sleeve is filled with earth, peat or another growth substrate, in which a seed is placed. The sleeves are attached to a tape or a wire, and together with said tape or wire the sleeves are rolled or folded up into a package. The plants are developed in a greenhouse in the package before they are bedded out in the sleeve one by one or together with the tape.
The object of the invention is to provide a tape with germinating units, where the tape is inexpensive to produce, biodegradable and environmentally acceptable, where the plants can develop in the tape under the most favorable conditions while said tape is placed edgewise, where the tape with the germinated plants is suited for a mechanical bedding out with a permanent distance between the plants and at a correct height, and where the tape or the germinating units comprise the substances necessary for ensuring an optimum germination and continued favorable growth and protection of the plants.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tape prepared for a mechanical bedding out of the individual germinating units with plants.
A particular object of the invention is to provide a tape ensuring an optimum ratio of air (oxygen) to moisture about the plant parts and the roots of the plant both before, during and after the germination of said plants.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tape, where both the nature, the amount and the placing and release of the added substances ensure the most favorable effect on the development of the plants and the highest possible environmental protection consideration.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a package of the tape, which particularly ensures uniform and favorable germination and growth conditions, and which furthermore ensures an unproblematic and rational handling and mechanical bedding out of the tape.
The tape according to the invention is characterised in the features stated in the characterising clause of claim 1. As a result, each plant part or plant is contained in a germinating unit and attached to the tape together with the mixture or the mixtures in such a manner that said tape can stand up to a mechanical handling without said plants or plant parts being displaced in or falling out of said tape. The carrier ensures the attachment of the additives, and several mixtures render it possible to selectively place said additives relative to the plant part. In addition it is possible to control the release of the additives with the result that optimum germination and growth conditions can be ensured for the plants.
As the additives are placed locally about the germinating unit, it is possible to ensure that substances having a detrimental effect on the plant part when applying in high concentrations are placed at a distance from said germinating unit and thus only reach the plant part in a less concentrated form.
The carrier may according to the invention advantageously comprise one or more of the substances: vermiculite, perlite, zeolite, cellulose materials, such as wood fibres, sphagnum, burned clay, mineral fibres, such as rock wool or the like substances, whereby it is possible to obtain a desired degree of water retaining capacity, water conveying capacity, ion exchanging properties etc.
The additives may in principle comprise all substances compatible with the remaining selected materials and agents having a favorable effect on the storage, germination, and growth of the parts of the plant in question. The additives according to the invention may for instance comprise one or more of the substances: pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, especially systemic insecticides, fungicides, virae, cultures of bacteria, cultures of fungi, such as Trichoderma, fungus spores, microencapsulated fungicides, eggs from useful insects, such as predatory nematodes, fertilizers, hormones, enzymes, animal repellants, pH-adjusting agents, carbon, clay particles, trace elements, such as molybdenum, wood fibres or wood powder, kieselguhr, surfactants, water-absorbing agents, such as superabsorbing polymer (SAP) or carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), silica and other additives with favorable effects on the germination and the growth of plants, where several substances are available in microencapsulated form with the result that they are protected against biodegradation and a controlled release thereof can be carried out.
According to the invention the binder may advantageously comprise polyvinyl alcohol or polyethylene glycol or another plant-compatible binder, such as water or water containing polysaccharide or mixtures thereof.
The plants or plant parts are advantageously placed at a specific distance from one rim, viz, the upper rim, of the tape, which corresponds to the ideal bedding out depth in the soil for the plant in question. The latter is of particular importance when the plants are to be bedded out in form of a coherent tape.
If the paper used is glazed and provided with a glue film on the side facing inwards in the tape, it is ensured that the two paper strips of the tape adhere to one another and that both the plant parts and the mixtures adhere to said strips. In addition it is ensured that air can easily circulate into and out of the interior of the germinating units and that the roots of the plants can cling to the burrs.
The paper used is advantageously of a weight not exceeding 80 g/m2, preferably not exceeding 50 g/m2, especially maximum 20 g/m2, whereby the material costs of the tape are as low as possible at the same time as a suitable strength of said tape is maintained. The paper can for instance be kraft paper.
One strip of material of the tape is made of crepe paper with the result that both a reduced frictional resistance and consequently also a reduced pull in the tape are obtained in connection with the mechanical bedding out of said tape.
The paper used is advantageously translucent in the moist state with the effect that light can penetrate to the seed during the germination process, said seed, such as a celery and tobacco seed, requiring a small amount of light during the germination process.
According to a particular embodiment of the tape, the germinating units may be closely juxtaposed, and cuts or weakening lines may be provided in the transitions between adjacent germinating units, said cuts or weakening lines allowing an easy separation of said germinating units, for instance by way of simply tearing off the outermost germinating unit in order to separately bed out said germinating unit.
According to the invention the growth-suited plant parts may be seeds or meristems.
According to the invention the tape may be adapted to be packed in a package, the tape being zigzag folded and placed in a bag or a box. Such a shape of the tape turned out to be very favorable both for ensuring a uniform space for the plants during the germination and the growth in the package and for ensuring a rational handling of the tape both in storage and transit as well as especially at the bedding out.
The invention also relates to a method of producing the tape according to the invention, and this method is characterised in the features stated in the characterising clause. This method turned out to be particularly advantageous for ensuring a reliable packing of the plant parts and the mixture in a closed germinating unit in such a manner that they are not displaced in or fall out of said germinating unit.
A particularly simple and reliable embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterised in that the pressing process is established by means of two co-acting profiled wheels or rolls, which optionally at the same time establish interrupted cuts or weakening lines in the lengths of material between the plant parts in the rows.
A further particularly simple embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterised in that the lengths of material secured to one another are longitudinally cut between the rows of plant parts and optionally transversely between said plant parts, whereby germinating tapes or separate germinating units are provided.
According to yet another particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention the tape resulting from the longitudinally cutting is folded up in a zigzag way into a package and subsequently placed in a germinating box with the rim side of said tape resting on a base, whereby an advantageous germination of the seeds into plants is carried out in said box, said plants being ready for a bedding out in vertical position together with the tape.
The invention relates furthermore to an assembly for carrying out the method according to the invention, and this assembly is characterised in the features stated in the characterising clause. This assembly turned out to be particularly efficient for carrying out the method according to the invention. In addition, the assembly does not take up much room, and the produced packages take up minimum room both in storage, in transit and during the germination. Moreover a significant advantage is found in the fact that the germinating boxes used for the germination can be used in transit as well as for the mechanical bedding out of the tapes by means of a bedding machine.